Veronica Mars conquers Kickstarter

Posted March 14, 2013 - 12:35
by
Shane McGlaun

Kickstarter is typically associated with new video games or consumer electronic projects hoping to cross over from the murky world of vaporware.

However, that's not all one can find on Kickstarter, as a number of movies have also hit the crowd-source funding site in an attempt to raise money for production. Case in point?
The production team behind a big-screen movie version of the popular TV show Veronica Mars recently turned Kickstarter seeking funds from the masses.

If you've never watched the TV show, actress Kristen Bell starred in the series and she is reportedly signed on to be in the big-screen adaptation. Show creator Rob Thomas is also involved in the project, and he's the one that set the Kickstarter page up for the project. The TV show wrapped up in 2007.

The Kickstarter project was originally seeking $2 million and gave itself a month with a goal of raising $2 million to fund the project. So far, 43,719 people have pledged funds, raising whopping $2.6 million at the time of writing. Still, pledges keep pouring in, as the funding counter and the number of backers remain steady.

The rights to the TV show are owned by Warner Brothers, but the studio is behind the project and has agreed to distribute the film if it meets the funding goal. Backers who fund the project will receive different awards depending on how much they pledge. For instance, pledging $10 or more will get you a PDF of the shooting script on the date the movie releases.

Those who pledge $25 more will receive a T-shirt along with that PDF of the script. At $35, backers will get a digital copy of the movie within a few days of theatrical debut of the film and $50 backers clinch a DVD copy of the movie - including a documentary on the making of the film.

Perhaps the strangest gift for backing the film is at $350 - which offers backers the ability to choose a cast member, except for Kirsten, to record 15 second outgoing voicemail message for you. For pledges of $400 both Kristen Bell and Rob Thomas will follow you on Twitter for a year, plus you'll get all of the other bonuses.

It will cost you $500 to get Kristen Bell to record your outgoing voicemail message, while $600 will win you a video greeting. All the way up the scale for $2500, 20 people will get to be background extras on the set. One person pledged even $10,000 and managed to clinch a part with actual dialogue in the film.